TOE in Manila for ‘The Future Is Now’ Asia Tour

* originally published on When in Manila *

When in Manila and you’re a listener of post-rock music, make sure that you’re NOT going to miss TOE‘s concert next month!

TOE is a Tokyo-based math-rock band composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Yamane Satoshi on bass, Mino Takaaki on guitar, and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar and vocals.

Majority of their music is instrumental in nature and is known for its melodic, clean tone guitar settings, subtle changes in both rhythm and texture and its complex yet catchy drumbeats that propel the band’s song structures and dynamics to form a unique sound all their own. Formed in 2000, TOE is widely considered and critically-acclaimed as one of the pioneers of Japanese post-rock.

TOE have released 3 full-length albums and 2 EPs through Machu Picchu Industrias, a Tokyo-based independent record label owned and managed by the members of the band.

After their successful sold-out concert with an audience of more than 1,500 people at NBC Tent in Taguig last March 20, 2012, TOE will be back in Manila for one night only as part of their Southeast Asian tour in support of the release of their latest EP, “The Future Is Now.”

INTASTELLA BURST HK, which specializes in live music events in Hong Kong and Manila featuring forward-thinking international artists, together with Fred Perry, presents TOE Live in Manila for their The Future Is Now Asian Tour.

Happening on April 19, 2013 at Metrotent, Metrowalk Plaza, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas, Pasig City, this event is also sponsored by Artwork shirts and brought to you by media sponsors PULP Magazine, Gala Magazine, Philippine Concerts, and When In Manila. Gates open at 8PM.

Regular tickets are still sold at B-Side, selected Artwork stores, and Fred Perry branches. More information may be found on Intastella Burst HK’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Currently fixing this blog after (n) weeks of ignoring it, haha. But I've been meaning to write posts about these:

• my cats of the now! and my general love for cats, DONE!
• my current struggle with learning the bass guitar,
• my "up and coming" band (he-he),
• my latest film, TV, and video game addictions,
• my new writing gigs,
• my discontinued series of articles, related to film photography,
• my "handwritten letters" from my old photo-project, DONE!
• and other random crap that I'm just O/C about.

Plus, I'm still figuring out how I can put all my (public) photos here. It's going to take me forever but I really want to keep this blog only, instead of using other photo sites. (I know, first world problems!)

I've been using Facebook and Twitter (and Instagram) a lot lately and of course, they occasionally sicken me. Having a separate blog still makes me sane.

I should have all the time in the world (thanks, home-based jobs) to do these. Not that you really care, but yeah, stay tuned if you like. I'm going to fix this thing for real. :)

Cacao!

UP ASTERISK: Nananaginip nang Gising Cultural Night Recap

* originally published on When in Manila *

When in Manila partnered with one of the University of the Philippines College of Arts and Letters’ organizations, UP ASTERISK, as they held their yearly cultural night. Check out these photos and some of the bands who made everyone’s night awesome.

Just last Friday, March 1, Conspiracy bar in Visayas, Quezon City experienced a pandemonium of great raw music, live art and poetry, and awesome people as UP Asterisk celebrated their 7th anniversary. Everyone in the party enjoyed their beers and the company of their friends. Everyone was in the state of ‘nananaginip nang gising.’

Nikko, Koji (also WIM writers), and I sat in front of the compressed stage of Conspiracy. Drinking our beers, we witnessed how UP ASTERISK‘s youth spend their night in high spirits. Nothing beats college life, indeed! Read on to see are the artists who performed that night!

“Plagpul is a homegrown three-piece band led by UP ASTERISK alumnus Pol Torrente on bass. The two other members are Jay Jamoralin on guitar and Peter Panelo on drums. Originally made up of protest artists, Plagpul’s comedy rock styling and lyrics are known in the local activism scene to be rife with socio-political commentary, usually focusing on status quo. Currently, the band has one album and an EP: Buy One, Thank One and Indie (Kikita), respectively.” (taken from UP Asterisk)

Slow Hello is a four-piece indie rock band, with Selena Salang as its songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist. They got us swaying our heads and tapping our feet as they played their melodic pop tracks, like Cold Turkey. Slow Hello is releasing their full-length debut this year under Number Line Records.

Slow Hello

The Strangeness describes their music as ‘lo-budge, narco, psychedelic, punk n’ soul.’ Having only 5 members present (instead of 7!), they had a stripped-down garage performance that night. But that didn’t hinder them from having a good gig. Everybody sang along as The Strangeness played the crowd’s favorite, Being Sober Is Such A Drag. Truthfully!

The Strangeness

Wilderness is, simply put, a noise barrage. Like all the other bands, Wilderness tried to tone down their amplifiers because the neighbors were requesting them to. However, their ‘bombastic love explosion’ of percussion and strings still got everybody banging their heads along. The audience even took part during their last song when they handed out maracas, tambourines, and other noise-makers.

Wilderness

“UP UGAT or Ugnayan ng Manunulat is one of the major writing organizations in the University for young literature students and enthusiasts.  Founded in August 2000 by students of Sertipiko sa Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino, the org aims to provide a welcoming venue for discourses and criticism, and to engage young minds in taking pride in their works. UGAT has been known to conduct workshops, poetry readings, and other events within and outside UP Diliman.” (taken and translated from UP Ugat’s Facebook page)

Other musical performers of the night were Ciudad Tribu, Sheenola, Super Lolo, TABAKK, The Jeffrey Zulueta Experience, and The Oemons. Gerilya and Justin Piñon also shared their artistry and talents during the night.

When in Manila congratulates UP ASTERISK for a very successful ‘kult’ night! Until next year! Special thanks to Stefan Punongbayan for inviting us! Photos by Jeremy Agsawa and Koji Arsua.

Facing one’s ‘demons’

* originally published on Yahoo Philippines, also seen on Vera Files *

Many of today’s famous photographers, like American Terry Richardson, started their photographic pilgrimage early in life. But others take longer to discover their penchant for photography, like Julia Margaret Cameron, a famous British portraitist in the 1800s who began taking sepia-toned Victorian portraits in her late 40s.

During one of her group exhibits in 2012, Mise-en-Scene

Twenty-two-year-old Louise Anne Manuel, or Luisa to friends, is one of those photographers who started young. “I really can’t imagine not being a photographer,” Manuel declared, stressing the word ‘not.’

“Even when my mind was set on being a doctor, I still thought of becoming a photographer when I retire. It seems that I have been gearing myself to take this path at all costs,” she added.

She was studying a pre-medical course at the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila when she discovered her love for photography.

Having found her true passion for taking pictures, she transferred to De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, where she is taking up AB Photography.

Manuel discovered the world of digital photography in 2006 when she acquired her first camera. Then a teenager, she started teaching herself portraiture by taking photos of herself.

Not long after she began accepting photo shoot commissions in 2008, she found herself lecturing on fashion and photography at UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, and De La Salle University in Manila.

(Sometimes, she works in front of the camera, being the subject of the photo shoot. One instance was when she participated in the 2011 “A Walk in Tokyo: A Japanese Fashion Show” as one of its runway models.)

Last year, Manuel had her first two photo exhibitions. In the group show “One Day in the City: Pasay,” she documented the life in Pasay City for 24 hours, together with 14 other shutterbugs.

“Mise-en-Scene,” also a collective display, featured fashion interpretations of iconic Hollywood films. “I chose to recreate ‘The Ring’ and, surprisingly, I was able to generate an overwhelming positive feedback from the attendees,” Manuel recalled.

Her fashion interpretation of The Ring

She said her work is vastly influenced by Asian horror. She described her photographic style as “dark – oftentimes leaning towards the concepts of death and desire.”

The haunting yet lovely feel of her photographs reminds one of American photographer Francesca Woodman’s eerie trademark but with more meticulous details and blithesome colors that complement the beauty of her muses – and without the naked models.

“Before I learned about photography, I was just your average everyday school-going teenager who’s terribly addicted to anime, Japanese drama, and iced coffee,” Manuel admitted.

When not taking pictures, she scours online blogs for inspiration, plays computer games, and hangs out with her friends. She confessed, “I also have a creepy habit of watching people.”

She noted that the local photography scene is flourishing. The works of photographers Ryan Vergara and Garovs Garovillo of Everywhere We Shoot, Edric Chen, and China Mungcal have a special spot in her heart. “They all have their own unique eye for things and they shoot to their hearts’ beat,” Manuel explained.

“The Philippines has a diverse culture and we have an abundance of inspiration to create art,” Manuel observed. “However, I also think that it would be great if our photographers could get more help from the government, since it is currently difficult to shoot, even in public places.”

Career-wise, the year 2013 looks good for her. In Manuel’s upcoming solo show, “Face Your Demons: A Photographic Exhibit on Fears and Nightmares,” she sticks to her signature style of macabre and elegance as she depicts the experiences of facing one’s fears, nightmares, and phobias.

Face Your Demons

“Face Your Demons” will be held from March 21-27 at the Big Bad Wolf, 5th Ave. Cor. McKinley Rd, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The opening night will also feature musical performances by Marvin Fabular and Lyle Manuel, and a live painting session by Iso Francisco of Spidersilk Productions.

Asked about her inspirations for the series, she answered: “The styling [of ‘Face Your Demons’] was inspired by a bizarre mixture of Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, and Takato Yamamoto. Theme development was also through the help of my fashion stylist, Kreame Isaac.”

The exhibit’s teaser photos reveal muses imbued with hints of Japanese gothic Lolita fashion.

“‘Face Your Demons’ is my most elaborate shoot to date. The works I would be putting up are all new, so no one has seen them yet,” she said.

Aside from having her own photo studio, Manuel also hopes to finish her photography course this year.

Tohoku before the 2011 devastating earthquake

* originally published on Yahoo Philippines, also seen on Vera Files *

Two years ago on March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake followed by a deadly tsunami hit Japan, claiming thousands of lives and destroying homes and other properties.

Most affected by the megadisaster was the Tohoku region in the north-eastern portion of Japan’s largest island of Honshu. The catastrophe caused widespread destruction (including a nuclear accident) in many cities in four of Tohoku’s prefectures, namely: Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi. (Its two other prefectures, Akita and Yamagata, were not as heavily damaged.)

Naoya Hatakeyama

This 2011 megadisaster, dubbed the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, is “the chief motivation” for organizing the ongoing photo exhibit “Tohuku– Through the Eyes of Japanese Photographers,” according to Kotaro Iizawa, the exhibit curator and a photography critic.

The exhibit, which marks the second anniversary of the 2011powerful earthquake and tsunami, runs until March 17 at the Gallery XVIII, 3rd Floor, Old Legislative Building of the National Museum in Manila.

On March 9, Iizawa and participating photographer Nao Tsuda will conduct an art talk on Tohoku at the same venue.

Presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM), the exhibit features 123 photographs of nine Japanese photographers and one photography group, representing the different timelines and aspects of life in the Tohoku region. They are Teisuki Chiba, Ichiro Kojima, Hideo Haga, Naoya Hatakeyama, Meiki Lin, Masatoshi Natio, Hiroshi Oshima, Masaru Tatsuki, Tsuda, and a group of photographers called the Sendai Collection.

“Although many people were made aware of this incredible disaster (2011 earthquake and tsunami)...there was little reporting on the historical and cultural background of the region,” Iizawa said. “This exhibition is intended to fill that gap through the works of photographers.”

Iizawa explained further: “Tohoku has attracted many photographers since ...photography was introduced to Japan in the 1850s. After the 1920s, when inexpensive and easily operable cameras became available, the people of Tohoku began taking pictures of their own region. Following the Second World War, there was an increase in the variety and quality of photographs of the Tohoku landscape, people’s lives, and popular events. This exhibition presents a representative selection of such photographs.”

Hiroshi Oshima

Each exhibiting photographer has his own style and contribution to the ethnology, life, and landscape of Tohoku from the past and present.

Chiba (1917 – 1965), who hailed from Kakunodate, Akita prefecture, was a self-taught photographer who worked as a kimono merchant. His photography reflected the way of living in Akita. He was one of the central figures in Akita photography.

Kojima (1924 – 1964), a son of a merchant who sold toys and photographic supplies, began seriously working as a photographer in 1954. His photographic subjects included the landscapes of Tohoku.

Haga (1921) is the founding member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society, which was set up in 1950. He has taken photographs all over Japan and 101 foreign lands.

Tokyo-born Natio (1938) was given the New Artist Award by the Japan Photo Critics Association in 1966. His work focuses on the folk religions of Tohoku.

Oshima (1944) became known for his Sanhei series, which featured a place in his hometown, where a peasant uprising took place during the Edo period. He is presently a professor in Kyushu Sangyo University.

Hatakeyama (1958) produced a series on the relationship of nature, cities, and photographs. He photographed the destruction in his hometown caused by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake.

Lin (1969) from Yokosuka, Kanagawa is the manager of Kibo Photographers, a school specializing in photography. He is also the president of Meirin Co., Ltd. and is an instructor at the Club Tourism International, Inc.

Tatsuki (1974) spent almost a decade photographing trucks and drivers. In 2012, he won the 37th Kimura Ihei Memorial Photography Award for the Tohoku photographs he  took from 2006 to 2011. He still visits the region to take pictures.

Tsuda (1976) was born in Kobe, Kyogo prefecture. He sees photography as contemporary art and has recently held solo exhibitions in Frankfurt, New York, and Paris. He was the recipient of the Minister of Education Award for New Artist in Fine Arts in 2010.

Meiki Lin

The Sendai Collection group of photographers is composed of Toru Ito, Shiro Ouchi, Makoto Kotaki, Wataru Matsutani, Hidekazu Katakura, Hisashi Saito, Ryuji Sasaki, and Reiko Anbai. In 2001, Ito formed the group to document ordinary landscapes in Sendai, “which are eroding in the flow of time and about to disappear from memory.”

“TOHOKU – Through the Eyes of Japanese Photographers” is a travelling exhibit that has been to China, Italy, Australia, Malaysia, and India since its inception in March 2012. After the Philippines, “TOHOKU’s” next stop will be the United States from April to May.

Punchdrunk Panda: practical and purely Pinoy products

* originally published on Yahoo Philippines, also seen on Vera Files *

Nowadays, a wide range of products are readily available to consumers through the Internet. The real challenge in having an online business is how to make one’s products stand out from the competition.

Punchdrunk Panda (PdP), a company engaged in online selling, offers unique and functional “world-class” Pinoy goods that showcase the talent of local graphic designers.

Founded by Gail Go and Jen Horn in mid-2007,  PdP has an exclusive product line that includes casual shoes, laptop sleeves, camera straps, and smartphone cases, among others. Some of their best-selling products are those designed by artists Manix Abrera, Rob Cham, and JP Cuison.

Punchdrunk Panda products

“Our missions are to give Filipino designers and illustrators an unconventional canvas on which to showcase their work and create conversation starters, to create proudly Pinoy-made products that show off Filipino creativity and capability, and to give you unique, functional, and awesome-looking products to express your personality and support for Pinoy products and designers,” Go explained.

The company has an awesome roster of contributing artists with distinctive styles, such as Alessa Lanot, Diego and Ge Mapa, Saab Magalona, Selena Salang, and Tof Zapanta, among others.

“They (artists) are very passionate about their work, (which is) like an extension of their personality. Consumers dig that,” Go shared. “We do not limit ourselves to a certain style but we’d like it to be familiar and distinctive: familiar to the consumers but distinctive in a way that when you see an artwork, you’d go ‘Hey, that’s (an artist name) art’.”

What makes their products truly Pinoy aside from being designed by local artists is the fact that PdP tries to manufacture them in the country. “As long as we can find a manufacturer in the Philippines, it’s still cost efficient,” Go said.

PdP started because of Go and Horn’s shared frustration with the lack of affordable and functional laptop sleeves. “Jen and I combined our powers to design the funkiest, yet most practical laptop sleeves. This idea eventually trickled down to other products on which graphic designs aren't conventionally applied,” Go shared.

She went on: “Jen and I started PdP because of our passion for creativity, essentially. As PdP grew, we needed an equally passionate member and we were lucky to have found Nica Kim (their honorary partner and operations manager).”

In 2008, PdP got their first retail partner, LapDance Bags. They created a new direction for their products and incorporated graphic design, as well. Go and Horn quit their jobs the following year so they could focus on their business.

Not long after their successful graphic-designed laptop sleeves, they thought of designing ladies’ casual footwear. They also collaborated with local artists in launching “cool things,” like artist webisodes, blogger hangouts, and Community Creativity Camp.

PdP is also known for the Anteroom Sessions event, which it started in 2011.  The marketing event featured local artists, bands, and entrepreneurs.

Anteroom Sessions 2

“Anteroom Sessions is something that we are so proud to have initiated,” Go said. “It’s been a huge success to date and it’s unfortunate that I physically cannot repeat this for this year. It’s hard when I’m half way across the globe. My staff is not ready to run it by themselves.”

Go moved to Canada a couple of years ago where she has since been remotely managing PdP. “I have a staff and they help me with the day-to-day operations. Thank God for the Internet,” said Go, who does fulltime brand marketing for ConAgra Foods Canada.

Meanwhile, Horn and Kim no longer take an active part in PdP.

In February, PdP started an initiative to enable Filipino consumers to give back to the community by donating 10 % of its sales to local and sustainable organizations, such as Save the Philippine Seas, Got Heart Foundation, and Muni PH.

“Upon check out, consumers are asked to select one of the three organizations and we’ll donate 10% of the total invoice to the selected organization,” Go explained.  “(We at) PdP personally know these organizations and we believe in their initiatives.”

Punchdrunk Panda has gone through big leaps already. It has redirected its products’ designs to make sure they convey a meaningful message.

PdP will release a brand new product in May which, Go said, is “going to be school-related, so stay tuned.”

“For our coming May product launches, our designs’ themes will be on personal growth and development, local culture and travel, and energy conservation,” she said. “It’s an exciting challenge for PdP and the artists that we work with. But we really want to inspire Filipinos through our designs.”